Machine for molding concrete building-blocks.



v G W DE ARMON & J L MoKINNBY MAomNB PoR MoLmNG CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS.

y APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 190B.A

" Patented Nov.24, 1908. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. W. DE ARMON & J. L. MOKINNEY.

MACHINE PoR MOLDING CONGREIE BUILDING BLOCKS.

AgPLIGATION FILED JAN, 13, 1908. 904,51 3. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JIIIIIIITIIIH C. W. DE ARMON 6r J. L. MQKINNEY. MACHINE PoR MoLDING GONGBBTB BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1908.

' 904,513. Patented N0v.24,19os.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ru: Nomus Pzrsns co., wlsmrvcmn, n. c,

C. W. DE ARMON & J. L. MCKINNEY.

l MACHINE :FOR MCLDINC CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLIOAT-ION FILED JAN. 13, 1908. 904,5 1 3.

Patented Nov. 2 4, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. DE ARMON AND JOHN L. MCKINNEY, OF PIQUA, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING CONCRETE BUILDING-BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,588.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES 1W. DE ARMoN and JOHN L. MCKINNEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Piqua, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Molding Concrete Building Blocks; and we do declare the f0llowing` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for molding concrete building blocks.

The object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in a machine of the above type in which concrete blocks are molded or tamped by pressure exerted upon the same from opposite directions.

A further object is to provide a machine in which the strain due to the operation of pressing the concrete from opposite sides, is borne by the moving parts of the machine and not by the frame or stationary parts, and the frame is thus relieved of such strain.

Other advantages due to the construction and mode of operation of the machine will be hereinafter referred to more particularly in the description in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1, is a top plan view of the machine. F ig. 2, is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3, is a side elevation showing the mechanism of the machine in position after the block has been given the necessary pressure and before the mold is opened and the pressure or tam ing plates moved away. Fig. 4, is a side e evation of the machine showing the mechanism including the tamp ing plates thrown back or moved away from the mold and the mold open with the block removed and resting upon the pallet. Fig. 5, is a detail of the mechanism through which the tamping plates and the connected mechanism is moved away from the mold. Fig. 6, is a detail view of the auxiliary support for the lower tamping plate. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the hinged clamp which cooperates with the mechanism shown in Fig. 6.

In a detail description of the invention, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

1 1 designate the main side frames of the machine which are tied or held in position mainly by the cross rods 14, the rear mold box plate 2 and other cross rods hereinafter mentioned. The front mold box plate 3 is hinged at 4 to a cross rod which extends from one side plate to the other in the front of the machine, said front plate 3 having apertured bosses 3 through which the hinge or rod 4 extends. The front mold plate 3 supports a pallet 25 which lies inside of the mold box when the plate 3 is elevated and upon which pallet the concrete blocks rest after their completion and when the front plate 3 is lowered upon its hinge as shown in Fig. 4, the dotted lines indicate the completed block resting upon the pallet. The bottom of the mold or the lower tamping plate 24 receives upward movement to compress the block, directly from stanchions 21 which engage said lower tamping plate adjacent to the ends thereof as shown in Fig. 2. The upper tamping plate 4() is carried upon a walking beam 37 by having a pivotal connection therewith by means of a bracket 41 at each end thereof which are pivoted at 42 to the ends of the walking beams 37, there being two of these walking beams. The stanchions 21 are pivoted to lower walking beams 19 which turn upon a cross rod 20, the ends of which are mounted in the lower portion of the side frames 1. The stanchions 21 have two or more open ings 22 in their lower ends for different attachments with the lower walking beams 19 in order that the thickness or sizes of the concrete blocks may be varied.

38-38 designate two oscillating arms which are fulcrumed at their lower ends to the cross rod 20 upon which rod the lower walking beams 19 are also fulcrumed as hereinbefore specified. The upper ends of these oscillating arms 38 are joined by an upper cross rod or shaft 39 which provides a fulcrum for the upper walking beams 37. The upper extensions of the brackets 41 which support the upper tamping plate 40 are connected to the upper ends of the oscil lating arms 38 by pivotal links 43, and by `means of which connections the upper tamping plate 40 is maintained in a level position which are mounted in the side frames, and i to the ends of these toggle pieces 17 17 there are connected two link levers 18 and 36 which extend to and are pivotally con-` nected with the ends of the upper and lower walking beams 37 and 19.

16 designates the operating lever fixed to the cross shaft 15 by means of which said shaft is rocked to impart the necessary movements to the toggle pieces 17 17 to rock the walking beams 37 and 19 upon their pivots 39 and 20. l/Vhen the operating lever is elevated to the perpendicular position as in Fig. 4, the upper walking beam 37 with the upper tamping plate 40 is moved clear of the ymold box, the movement of the upper tamping plate being first upward perpen- 'dicularly to clear the mold box and then rearwardly, while the lower wal-king beams 19 being on a stationary pivot 20 receive an oscillating movement which lowers the stanchions 21 'away from the bottom of the mold or the lower tamping plate 24. The positions of the movable parts as shown in Fig. 4, are such as occur after each operation of molding a block. On each of the oscillating arms 38 there is a pivotal lilik v49 which is pivoted to one end of a 'bell crank lever 45, there being two of such bell crank levers, each of which has a fulcruni 48 on the side frames. Fixed to the cross rool 15 in alinement with the upper arms of the bell crank levers 45 are two cranks 46 each of which `carries a pin 47 adapted to engage the upper arms of the bell crank levers 45 when the operating lever 16 is moved to its vertical position, andas said operating lever is arriving at such position, the engagements between the pins 47 and the upper arms of the bell crank `levers 45 take place, and there is thus exerted upon the oscillating arms 38 through the connecting -links 49, movement which vdraws said arms 38 to the position as shown in Fig. 4, such movement being simultaneous with the movements imparted to the upper `and lower walking beams 37 and 19, but the rpins 47 do not engage the upper arms of the `bell crank levers 45 until the upper tamping plate 40 has been elevated from the mold box by the walking beams 37 and 19.

23 designatestwo links which are pivoted yto the side frames and to the upper vportions of the stanchions 21, and which serve to maintain said stanchions -in a proper upright position. The end :plates 5 5 'of the mold box are hinged to the bracket 7 at 6, and these plates open outwardly as shown in Fig. 2 to free vthe endsof the concrete block preparatory to removing the same on the pallet 25 and the front plate 3. Then so opened, these end plates are supported by brackets 8 which are secured to lower brackets 7 fastened to the side plates 1 1. On each of said Yhinged end plates 5 5 there is pivoted a locking lever 9 which is operated by the hand and has oppositely disposed notches 9 which engage studs 10 10 on the rear and front mold plates 2 and 3 to maintain said plates in a locked position as shown in Fig. 3. The front mold plate 3 has a hand-piece 11 by which it is raised and lowered, and when lowered to remove the block as in Fig. 4, the said front plate with its contents are supported upon a swinging leg 1.2 which is linked to a lever 13, the latter being connected with the lower cross rod 14 by a pivot 13.

Then the stanchions 21 are lowered away from the bottom tamping plate 24, it becomes essential that the bottom tamping plate shall be supported in the position in which it was placed by the upward movement of said stanchions l21 and until the block is removed from the machine, and in order that the bottom lof the mold may have no movement after the compression takes place and until the block is removed. These means consist of a bracket 26 which is held rigidly to the inner side of the -front mold plate by means of bolts 33 and may be adjusted to different positions as may be required. Said bracket has itwo apertured bosses 26 through which a pin 27 passes, said pin 27 engaging the lower 'side of the lower tamping plate to hold it in position after the compression 'of said tamping plate against the concrete. A clamp 28 is pivoted to the bracket 26 at 34 and has an opening therein through which the .pin 27 also passes, said pin engaging a shoulder 31 o`n the clamp 28 when the clamp is in its normal or horizontal position as in F i'g.'6 and in which position it is maintained by a spring 29, said 'spring being wound around the pin 27 between the clamp 28 and the upper Vapertured boss 26 of the bracket 26. After the removal v-of vthe concrete block from the mold or from 'the pallet, it becomes vnecessary to permit the bottoni tamping plate 24 to lassume Vits lower or normal posi.- tion vpreparatory to the formation of another block; this is done by slightly elevating the clamp 28 by catching hold of the linger end 30; this elevation disengages the shoulder 31 froln the pin 27 and permits the tamping plate 24 to descend on the lseats 32 and 35 which are provided upon the bracket26 and upon the b'racketf35, the latter beingseeured to the rear mold plate 2.

It will be understood from the `system of levers and their arrangement, that the leverage is multiplied very considerably and that la maximum Iamount Vofni'anual power is obta-ined therefrom'in compressing the concrete. And further, owing to this pressure being applied from opposite directions upon the concrete, the finished block is given a uniform density so that there are no porous portions to absorb moisture unduly or excessively.

`We claim:

l. In a machine of the character specified, a mold box, oppositely disposed tamping plates in said mold box, one of said tamping plates having auxiliary supporting means to hold said tamping' plate in an upper position while the block is being removed from the machine, and means for exerting force against said tamping plates from opposite directions.

2. In a machine of the character specified, a mold box, oppositely-disposed tamping plates therein, upper and lower walking beams to which said tamping plates are connected, toggle levers interposed between said walking beams and whereby said walking beams are actuated to impart movement to the tamping plates, and means for moving the upper series of walking beams to a position to carry the tamping plate connected therewith away from the mold box and to the mold box.

3. In a machine of the character specied, a mold box having hinged front and side plates, oppositely-disposed tamping plates in said mold, stanchions adapted to impart movement to one of said tamping plates, walking beams to which said stanchions are connected, walking beams to which the other tamping plate is connected, toggle devices adapted to impart movement to the walking beams and to the tamping plates, and means Jfor impart-ing a rearward movement to the walking beams supporting the tamping plate to remove said tamping plate from the mold box.

4. In a. machine of the character specified, a mold box, oppositely s disposed tamping plates therein, means for exerting pressure from opposite directions upon said tamping plates to compress the concrete uniformly there-between, and means mounted 0n the mold box for holding or maintaining one of said tamping plates in the position in which it is moved to compress the concrete.

5. In a machine of the character specified, a mold box comprising a stationary rear plate and hinged front and end plates, a pallet supported on the front plate, oppositely-disposed tamping plates forming the top and bottom of the mold, and means for exerting pressure upon said tamping plates from opposite directions.

G. In a machine of the character specified, a mold box, a lower tamping plate mounted below said mold box, an upper tamping plate mounted above said mold box, said upper tamping plate adapted to be removed from the top of the mold box, a main operating lever, and means interposed between said tamping plates and said lever to actuate said tamping plates to compress the concrete in the mold box, and to remove the upper tamping plate from said mold box.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WV. DE ARMON. JOHN L. MGKINNEY.

Witnesses:

SARAH C. TALBOT, GEO. W. BERRY. 

